Chapter 2 Her Admiration Means Nothing To Him

Leanna's eyes instantly grew wide.

She had never laid eyes on such an attractive man before.

His features were precise and refined. His look was icy and daunting, with a slight, mocking curve to his lips. He stood with a grace and stature that seemed almost divine.

For Leanna, this was her first experience of feeling safeguarded.

Since then, she had been captivated and devoted her affection entirely to him.

The Holland family didn't welcome her in their home, and she had no desire to stay with Kristy. Eventually, she made a bold request and moved into Nate's separate residence.

This villa was a present from Nate's father, Ricky Holland, gifted when Nate returned from his studies overseas at 25, ready to take on the Holland family business.

Nate told her, "Your grandfather once helped mine. I've got your back."

Those words transformed Leanna's life completely.

She left her tiny attic room at her uncle's for a spacious fifty-square-meter bedroom. She got a wardrobe of her own, which was filled with brand-new designer clothes. Finally, she could say goodbye to the old clothes she was wearing, which had been her cousin's but were later given to her because her cousin no longer needed them and her aunt and uncle refused to buy her new clothes.

She now had staff and maids attending to her, a stark change from before.

The sixteen-year-old slender girl swiftly gained weight and grew taller.

Her uncle and aunt had kept her from school, but now she was learning at home with tutors.

Leanna was incredibly bright. Within two years, she covered all the material from junior high and high school. At eighteen, she got into a top university in Elesmond. Finishing her undergraduate studies in just two years, she seamlessly transitioned into a graduate program through recommendation.

Over those four years, despite Nate's busy schedule and infrequent visits, he ensured everything was for her. Leanna felt his concern about the little things.

Nate became the guiding light in Leanna's life, growing brighter with each brief meeting until it filled her entire world.

Leanna yearned for his presence, often inquiring about what was going on in his life.

She knew he was a decisive leader, under whom the Holland family's business in Elesmond flourished. He was widely respected.

Leanna was also aware that Elesmond's high society women all competed for his attention, employing various strategies to get close.

But he seemed uninterested in them. He even ejected a well-known actress from a party for being too forward with him.

Seeing him with another woman shattered Leanna. How could she come to terms with that?

Were the tales of his disinterest in women just rumors?

Whether they held the truth or not, what she witnessed today shattered all her illusions, and brought her back to reality.

Leanna understood then that a future together was not in the cards.

He would never see her in a romantic light; he had merely cared for her out of respect for his grandfather's friend.

The deep feelings she had harbored for four years were insignificant to him.

It made sense now why he was eager for her to sign those papers and move abroad. He had someone new in his life and needed her gone to make space for this new woman.

Leanna dried her tears, her eyes now reflecting a newfound resolve.

If Nate didn't care for her, why should she hold on to him?

She wasn't the same young girl who had once begged desperately to take up residence in his villa.

Maisie held her hand, her voice laced with concern. "What's your plan?"

"What other choice do I have? I'll sign the papers and then leave the country as Nate wishes. I'll disappear from his life."